Cap'n Pete

iTrader: (2)

Hey gang!

I recently got my LS7 up and running after a full rebuild + upgrade to a Tony Mamo heads/cam package. Now that I've had my car on the road for a couple of weeks and put ~800 miles on it, I finally got it in for a proper dyno tune.

The highlights of my build are:
- stock LS7 rotating assembly, crank freshly polished, pistons re-coated with new Teflon, fresh hone, rings, bearings, etc.
- Mamo Trickflow 265 Stg2 heads, 71.5cc chambers (pump gas friendly)
- custom ground Comp Cam (something around .634" lift, 229° duration - "baby cam" according to Tony!)
- Johnson 2116LSR (link-bar) lifters, Yella Terra 1.8 rockers
- Mamo spec'd ATI damper
- Mamo oil pump
- 1-7/8" LT headers (brand unknown - installed by previous owner)
- factory LS7 intake manifold & CAI

Since my car is a 90/10 street/track car (road course / HPDE events), my goal/objective was some reliability/durability mods, hence ditching the stock LS7 heads in favor of the Trickflow heads, and going with the improved valvetrain setup & higher pressure pump. After having 3 (three) sets of LS7 guides fail me, I just want my car to WORK.

And WORK it does! Despite power being a lower priority to me, I can't help but be thoroughly IMPRESSED with the output of this "mild" build. After a couple of initial tuning pulls, here are the three final pulls from the dyno today:
(FYI - the "blue" run occurred before the "red" & "green" runs)



Overall, I'd like to give a huge shoutout to Tony Mamo (Mamo Motorsports) for his exceptional customer service and skill-of-the-craft in assembling a WICKED performing heads/cam package. I also want to point out that - due to budgetary constraints - I did NOT upgrade any of the intake system, despite Mr. Mamo's strong recommendation, and as you can see by the dyno results, I'm probably ~40+HP short of the 600RWHP mark, which, per Tony, would be a slam dunk if I chose to pull the trigger. Maybe next year!

I'd also be remiss if I did not acknowledge the exceptional work by Arun @ CC Performance for the dyno tune & street tune (west of Toronto, ON, for any of you Canadian gear heads ) . The car idled like CRAP and kept throwing multiple codes (ie: P0106, P0300) but once he got his hands on it, all of that cleared up, the power just kept climbing on the dyno, and yet the car runs & drives AMAZING afterward. Seriously, for something that went from ~505HP to ~650HP at the crank, it's still VERY streetable (which is exactly where it spends most of its time).

Suffice to say, HAPPY CUSTOMER here .

And just for some icing on the cake, I was able to show a nice, new C8 (not a Z06!) the taillights of a C6 at the end of the day!

For more details on my build, see my recent post from Corvette Forum: LS7 First Start

Tony @ Mamo Motorsports

Guys,

This build worked out great....and just for clarification, the custom cam I had ground only has a 229 intake lobe and only 6 degrees of total overlap!

Its a "Stage 1" cam by any shop's standards looking at the total overlap. Pete was considering keeping the OEM cam as this car is a daily driver for him but I encouraged him to do a really small performance grind that's better suited the the flow curve and efficiency of my aftermarket heads. I knew it would still drive like stock but put up better numbers with more optimized valve events for my cylinder heads (head flow and application are the two main items that dictate proper cam events guys).

This engine is only 11.3 to 1 compression....you could run this in the summer heat on 91 octane with zero knock. Just think what this could have made had the budget allowed for a better induction system. My Ram Air CAI and a ported MSD would have probably added 35 - 40 RWHP even with just a ported 90mm stock TB.....with a 103 TB it would have been a minimum of 40 wheel putting this mild compression Stg 1 cam perfect driver over 600 at the wheels and probably knocking down close to 550 RWTQ (530 in it's current configuration is very impressive). The flat torque curve and broad usable power curve is also bonus....perfect for a car that spends most of its time on the street.

I bet it still gets great fuel efficiency also.....easily low 20's on the freeway if you can manage to keep your foot out of it.....maybe even mid 20's.

I ended up speaking with Peter earlier today and he shared with me that on the way home from the tuning session he ended up side by side with a new C8 Stingray and easily puts him in his rearview mirror....how is that for a cherry on top happy ending.....LOL

Cant wait to see this car with an aftermarket induction....the tuner noted it was pulling huge vacuum at higher RPM with the obvious cork in the system being the OEM induction components.

What a fun street car this would be with around 600 wheel and perfect drivability (not that 562 is too shabby) but man.....those extra ponies are just there for the taking!!

Im ready Pete....let me know when you are!!

Cheers,
Tony

jmilz28

iTrader: (13)

I think we all love happy endings...amiright?

G Atsma

UB right!

Cap'n Pete

iTrader: (2)

HioSSilver

iTrader: (8)

Idk if I'd be very happy with that. We've seen bolt on ls7s make 540whp and right at 500wtq.

Hell my 5.7 just made 548whp 446wtq on pump gas of which gmpp 243s were used and I only have .7 more compression. My cam is slightly larger but not alot.

Guy with a Chevy

I bet it's not even close at a given rpm not to mention you probably have a higher stall converter reaching those numbers so can you even compare?

HioSSilver

iTrader: (8)

Both combo's I mentioned were/are stick cars.

Idk....I think na dyno numbers are comparable. Track numbers > dyno numbers tho

grinder11

iTrader: (1)

BOLT ON LS7s making 540whp, which would be well over 600chp??!!! I have NEVER seen one. If I did, I'd sure as Hell question the dyno operator, AND the dyno calibration, which was probably last calibrated in 1968. A genuine over 600chp from a stock internals LS7?? Not gonna happen, unless the bolt on is a turbo or blower, or it's running on Nitromethane!!! Anyone who wouldn't be happy with what Tony's mods have done for the Cap'n may not be happy with much of anything.....

Cap'n Pete

iTrader: (2)

I dunno. My dyno guy seemed very impressed with what it was putting down, and obviously he's tuned many, many LSx engines. He knows what they're all capable of. Seeing what he squeezed out of mine with FACTORY intake - knowing what potential is still un-tapped - I don't think a 5.7L is ANYWHERE in the same ballpark, even if RWHP is close. RWTQ is off by a mile (.....and I'm NOT knocking the 5.7L - I had one and loved it!).

IF/WHEN I put a proper intake on and make ~600RWHP, I think this conversation is over.

jayyyw

Just because you haven't seen it, doesn't mean it hasn't happened. There are plenty examples out there.

jayyyw

It's not really that impressive. Maybe they haven't tuned anything that made actual power. Lots of off the shelf packages make that power and more with the stock intake and still drive great.

Cap'n Pete

iTrader: (2)

He was tuning ~900+HP C5's over 20 years ago. He knows his stuff. I'm happy with the results, and that's really all that matters.

Sorry you're not impressed .

Guy with a Chevy

I think the low end results are very adequate and I wouldn't sweat the small talk that lacks content to prove your build under powered

G Atsma

I think what jayyyw forgets is that while Tony builds the best, that is tempered by him spec'ing for the customer's goals which might not mean as all-out an engine as Tony could build.

grinder11

iTrader: (1)

I may never have seen a stock internals LS7 make 600+hp, but I also don't believe anyone else has, either. Unless it is one of the later models GM made with the better cam and was rated@570chp from GM. AFAIK the LS7s that were installed in C6s and Camaros were all rated 505hp. I just don't think its possible to pick up 100hp with bolt ons. I believe a dyno operator can fudge numbers to make it APPEAR as though it's making those numbers. But I don't buy it. Until an experienced, honest dyno operator, using a calibrated dyno, actually shows me that 600+ number on a stock internals, single throttle body (no, I don't think a $4,000+ ITB setup qualifies as a bolt on) engine, I'll agree to disagree......

jmilz28

iTrader: (13)

There are stock LS7s making 600 at the crank if that is what is meant, all day long. Underrated engines plus all the bolt ons and tune, fairly easy. REALLY easy if you port the factory heads. 600 at the wheel on stock heads and cam, nope. Here's an LS7 entirely stock down to the manifolds, only ported heads, hitting 499 at the tire. Headers, cold air, and tune would have put this car close to 550 at the wheels on stock cam.

gnx7

iTrader: (28)

My old LS7 at 11.25:1 with a big 243/256 .650" cam, long tube headers, and the rest stock made only 522rwhp/472rwtq on a conservative DynoJet (15 year old cam technology) but it did go 138mph in the 1/4 and 111mph in the 1/8th.
2900lb RX-7

This combo being so much milder is still very impressive and is making a ton more torque. I would slap an MSD Atomic intake on there and call it a day!

HioSSilver

iTrader: (8)

So far every full bolt on ls i have seen can make 40whp ish over it's rating from gm.

For example my bolt on ls6 made 451whp/423wrq +46whp. Bolt on ls3 we did made 470whp 470wtq +40whp , bolt on ls7 in our group 540/498wtq +35whp, bolt on ls1 right at 400whp +50whp.

Track numbers seem to back up the dyno.


It's definitely lacking on the intake. I hope it does pick up alot for you when you change it.

Tq of my 5.7 may be off at peak.....but likely not beyond 7k rpm. Maybe even before that.

that's not really very good for a built ls7. They've been 9.8@138 in a c6. Recently some one put a crate ls7 in a drag car. It went 9.0@150

15yr old cam tech wasn't holding you back. the cam in my 5.7 that just made 548whp is probably 10yrs old and the heads are 20yrs old gmpp cnc 243s.

Abs

@HioSSilver if I recall correctly, a lot of your bolt on gains come from lightening up resistance, right? Lighter flywheels and clutches, lighter wheels, lighter driveshaft, under drive pulleys. And of course free flowing intakes and exhaust. Does that sound about right? Anything else I am missing?